The present invention is generally directed to hanging devices, and more particularly to a hanging device which includes a hanging member which is safely disposed in a recessed manner within a body maintaining a substantially flush inconspicuous disposition with a wall or mounting site when not in use (or in a stowed configuration). The hanging member thereof is rotatable about an axis to extend out of the body while remaining solidly anchored so that even a heavy item may be hung from it securely. More specifically, the hanging device incorporates a retention member, which reliably keeps the pivotally held hanging member in a safely retracted or stowed position when not in use but allows for ready reconfiguration to an operative position.
Hanging devices are generally used to provide a location at which items or articles may be hung without the use of a coat hanger. Conventionally, hanging devices are generally in an operative state even when not in use. Such default operative-only configuration represents a significant drawback of using such a device. A number of articles such as a wet coat, jacket, purse, laptop bag, seasonal decorations, temporary lighting, and the like are beneficially maintained in an organized and securely maintained manner. Rather than haphazardly depositing such items about an office, a house, a school, a recreational vehicle, or a boat—instead, a device to securely deposit such articles would prove quite convenient, beneficial, and safe. As some articles may be wet, hanging them facilitates the drying process by keeping the articles suspended rather than clumped or piled—allowing air to permeate the article and liquids to drip therefrom resulting in a conveniently placed, air-dried article. Additionally, such wet articles are generally hung immediately upon walking into a room, house, office, or the like so as to confine the dripping to the entrance-area. It is seen that these items are frequently deposited and withdrawn from their temporary storage. Some other articles, such as seasonal decorations generally stay up a short period of time and then are removed.
Installing permanently disposed rigidly protrusive hanging measures for only transient hanging needs is far from optimal. A number of factors or motivators may make the permanent affixing of hanging measures undesirable such as the expense of permanent affixing, a degraded aesthetic appearance, reduced usable space, constraints on arrangement of wall-abutting furniture, and safety concerns including compliance with both federal and state Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines or rules barring dangerous protrusive members from hallways, stairways, entranceways or other such inherently dangerous areas.
It may be seen that fixed hanging measures rigidly protruding several inches in some environments, such as, for example, a narrow dark stairwell, a bustling restaurant, an industrial area, a boat pitching on the high seas, an RV cresting a hill, or a school or play area for children may result in serious injury—especially as such rigid unyielding fixtures are generally disposed at eye-level for their intended user. A simple trip may result in severe, life changing, eye or facial damage. More commonly, such affixed rigid protruding members may simply be an annoyance or embarrassment, perhaps catching a shirt of a passer-by, nicking another passer-by, or bringing another passer-by to a jolting halt as their sweater has been caught by the hook—arresting their forward motion and perhaps spilling hot coffee everywhere.
Permanently affixed rigid protrusions, such as hooks, pegs, pikes, nails, and the like may also serve as an eyesore—disrupting an otherwise pleasant ambience in a nice restaurant, attracting a motley array of rain jackets in an austere Courtroom, or an indistinguishable black mass of jackets at a funeral. An otherwise fashionable room may be tarnished by a lone rusty nail hastily hammered into a wall or door to serve as a coat hanger.
Additionally, surface-affixed rigid permanent hooks may be insufficiently anchored to an infirm surface such as drywall in haste—perhaps missing the stud or using less than adequate screws. Such hooks, when burdened with several wet jackets or a laptop bag, may pivotally rip their anchoring screw out of the wall resulting in unsightly holes in the wall, a plastery mess, metallic screws on the floor, and perhaps a broken laptop.
Moreover, fixed hooks protruding into a room put unnecessary constraints on the arrangement of furniture in the room. If a remodeler were trying to move a cabinet or bookshelf to a certain position to make room for a couch, the fixed rigid hook member may be in an inopportune location requiring several different layouts or schematics to arrange a floorplan distributing furniture ideally in the room in light of the fixed hook. Fixed, rigidly protruding hooks installed on the back of a door may also be seen to damage an opposing wall when the door is opened.
To some degree, retractable hooks, such as, for example, seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,204 (the '204 patent) have been adopted to counter some of the disadvantages of fixed rigid permanent hooks discussed above. However the retracting hook seen in the '204 patent has no measures to ensure that the hook portion stays in a retracted or safely stowed state guarding against accidental extensions. Additionally, the hook seen in the '204 patent has no measures for flush mounting within a wall, toolbox, door, or the like.
In some cases of other retractable hooks, unreliably retraction of the hooks can be even more dangerous. If, for example, a retractable hook which either retracts too far—leaving a void, or which retracts only partially—leaving a small hook portion exposed is utilized, injuries may be exacerbated. Such over or under retractions are often inconspicuous—though sufficient to snag a sweater or gouge an arm.
Worse yet, is a retractable hook that retracts or extends unreliably or without being actuated by an adult. A stubborn retractable hook may cause a child to use a great amount of force to dislodge the hook which may result in great shock or trauma when a hook gives out or the obstacle is overcome and the hook snaps into position. Alternatively, a retractable hook that retracts or extends too easily or even on its own responsive to gravity, seismic activity, the shuffle of school children en masse, or the like, may lure a child into a false sense of security that, for example, safe running passage may be assumed as the hook is in a retracted position—only to be unsuspectingly snared by a rogue extending hook. While such hook accident may seem relatively minor, it is seen that such hooks, particularly in an elementary school, middle school, hospital, retirement center, or the like, may be handled by hundreds of children or patients with unwashed hands, janitors, teachers, parents, nurses, doctors, care givers, and thus, such hooks may be vectors for a number of diseases, bacteria, viruses, and the like,—such as, for example, tetanus which may result in death or disfigurement should a wound go unreported by a child/patient/senior or unaddressed by competent medical professionals.
Alternatively, coat racks and other free-standing apparatuses may be employed to provide a place to hang an article temporarily. However, coat racks are eventually filled with discarded articles, found articles, or so many layers of articles that locating a particular article quickly becomes a fruitless endeavor. Such coat racks may become so over-loaded and off balance that a simple touch may topple the coat rack—potentially injuring a child or senior in the process. Such coat racks also take up a not-insubstantial footprint and are generally unattractive. Additionally, they may not provide the flexibility for desirable hanging of such articles as seasonal decorations.
Affixing seasonal decorations, while seemingly innocuous, may be a hazardous activity, where employees employ ladders, chairs, desks, and all manner of unorthodox stepping and reaching measures to hang decorations such as wreaths, lights, stockings full of gifts, mistletoe, and the like with industrial tools and fasteners such as stapleguns, nailguns or hammers, nails, and the like—attempting to create impromptu hanging devices. Often times, grievous injuries are encountered in the stepping, reaching, affixing, and the inevitable failed fixture dropping a poorly hung object on an unsuspecting person's head.
Installing and uninstalling temporary hooks is also far from optimal as repeated installations may damage the substrate, wall, or hanging surface with unsightly holes, residual adhesive, discolorations, and the like. More seriously, throughout the years, the repeated penetration and retraction may structurally weaken a localized area of the surface such that each successive installation becomes less and less reliable. Hanging objects have a potential energy related to their weight and height. The heavier the object, the higher it is hung, the greater the kinetic energy unleashed from its potential should the object fall.
There is therefore a need for a reconfigurable hanging device maintaining flush disposition in stowed configuration. Such hanging device should not be susceptible to false actuations, but instead remain steadfast in stowed configuration until an authorized adult applies a simple actuation with a predetermined requisite amount of force to overcome a safety retention member thereof. Such device shall retract fully to be disposed in flush relation with at least a frame of the device but also, in some embodiments, a wall or other mounting surface thereof. Such hanging device shall extend fully to provide safe and secure support for even relatively heavy objects and such device shall retract effectively and fully.